Elevator control system

Abstract

For entry of calls in an elevator system, a destination call is entered outside the elevator car if the starting floor is a floor with intensive departing traffic. On other floors, a collective-control up or down call is entered traditionally and then a destination call in the elevator car. An identified regular customer may be allowed to select and confirm a destination floor from among one or more preprogrammed alternatives. Destination preprogrammed floors most frequently used are stored, the starting floor being fixed. Preprogrammed floors can be set for several different starting floors separately. For occasional customers system or regular customers going to floors other than preprogrammed floors, a call is entered as a destination call in the elevator lobby on floors with intensive departing traffic and as an up or down call according to collective control in the elevator lobby and on other floors.

Description

[0001]This application is a Continuation of copending PCT International Application No. PCT / FI2005 / 000536 filed on Dec. 19, 2005, which designated the United States, and on which priority is claimed under 35 U.S.C. §120.FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0002]The present invention relates to elevator control effected on the basis of calls entered in an elevator system.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0003]In the operation of an elevator system, it is essential to receive and process the call data entered by passengers. The problematics consist in determining the most optimal elevator, defined by a desired indicator, for each elevator passenger having entered a call, and controlling the elevators in accordance with the optimization results. In an elevator system, a customer arriving to the elevator calls an elevator to the floor where he / she is currently located by pressing the button of a call device near the elevator door. The commonest solution for implementing the call device is to provide up and...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0007]The object of the present invention is to combine certain favorable aspects of traditional collective control and destination control so as to improve the efficiency of operation of the elevator control system.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013]When a database concerning regular customers exists, the information can be utilized to improve the efficiency of call control. When a customer arrives at an elevator, he / she is identified by technology comprised in the call input equipment but not separately defined in the present invention. If the arriving customer is identified as a regular user of the elevator system, i.e. as a regular customer, then the information relating to the regular customer and starting floor in question is retrieved from the database, regarding one or more of the regular user's typical destination floors. The destination floor (or destination floors) anticipated by the system is displayed on a call panel, via which the regular customer can confirm it. The system works in such a way that, after identification of a regular customer, if the regular customer wants a ride to a floor other than his / her most typical destination floor, then he / she will have to enter a direct destination call (on floors with intensive departing traffic) via the destination call panel or an up / down call via corresponding buttons (on floors with less intensive departing traffic). When the regular customer wants a ride to a typical destination floor, he / she can acknowledge this by pressing a specific confirm button or, on the other hand, the system can be so implemented that the suggested typical destination floor is automatically confirmed to the elevator control system if the regular customer does not input a different call within a desired (short) time. As stated above, the regular customer may have several typical destination floors and he / she can select a desired destination floor from among these floors via the panel.

Problems solved by technology

The problematics consist in determining the most optimal elevator, defined by a desired indicator, for each elevator passenger having entered a call, and controlling the elevators in accordance with the optimization results.

The collective control method has the disadvantage that the system only learns the customer's destination floor after the elevator has already arrived at the customer's original floor of location.

Therefore, it is impossible to allocate only one elevator for passengers wanting a ride to the same destination floor at the same time, because the system knows nothing of the customers' destination floors on the basis of the depressions of up / down buttons.

Due to the destination call device, destination control may be more expensive than traditional collective control.

In such a system it is not possible to enter a traditional up or down call, but the user always has to enter a destination call.

A problem with collective control is that the system is not informed about the customers' destination floors until after the customer has entered the elevator car.

Destination control again involves the problem of higher costs as compared to the collective control system.

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